Tool for expanding and contracting culvert bands



Sept. 4, 1951 H. w. LASCHKE 2,566,454

TOOL FOR EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING CULVERT BANDS Filed March 21, 1950 F lg.

20 24 4 s ol o 9 34 l 22 34 g 23 i/O I l8 0 o o d b o 24 34 2o 28 6 /6 I8 I32 34 95? Harry W. Laschlre INVLNTOR.

Patented Sept. 4, 1951 TOOL FOR EXPANDING AND CONTRACTING CULVERT BANDS Harry W. Laschke, Iowa City, Iowa, assignor of one-half to Richard R. Tompkins, Iowa City,

Iowa

Application March 21, 1950, Serial No. 151,017

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in tools for expanding and contracting bands such as are commonly employed for securing together adjacent ends of culverts and similar pipes, the principal object of the invention being to facilitate convenient and expeditious performance of the band expanding and contracting operation, thus permitting the band to be quickly installed in position preparatory to clamping.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, in its efficient and expeditious operation as aforesaid, and in its adaptability for use on culvert bands of different sizes or diameters.

With the above more important objects and features in view, and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view thereof when used for expanding a culvert band;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the invention when used for contracting a band, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view, taken substantially in the direction of the arrow 4 in Figure 2.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a tool for expanding and contracting culvert bands, or the like, this tool being designated generally by the reference character l and embodying in its construction a lever I2 affording a handle I l at its upper end, while the lower end portion of the lever is provided with a laterally angulated lug A suitable fulcrum element i8 is provided intermediate the ends of the lever I2 and is selectively receivable in a plurality of apertures 20 arranged in a row in a cross bar 22 whereby the latter is adjustably and rotatably connected to the lever.

The cross bar 22 is provided at one end thereof with an upwardly and downwardly projecting leg 2 which, in turn, is equipped at its upper and lower ends with a pair of additional lugs 2t, 23 projecting in opposite directions from the legs. In other words, when the device is in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the lug 2% on the leg 24 extends toward the lever I2 'while the lugs I6, 28 extend in relatively opposite directions, but when the cross bar 22 is rotated about the fulcrum element I8 to the position shown in Figure 3, the lugs I6, 26 are opposed while the lug 28 extends away from the lever I2, as shown.

When the invention is placed in use for ex panding a culvert band 30, the device is arranged as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the lugs I6, 28 are simply inserted in the apertures 32 provided in the usual flanges 34 with which the band is equipped, so that by simply swinging the lever I2 in the direction of the arrow 36 in Figure 2, the two flanges 34 may be spread apart and the culvert band 30 expanded for subsequent application to a culvert or similar pipe.

Thereupon the tool is removed from the band and the cross bar 22 is rotated relative to the lever I2 through approximately degrees to the position shown in Figure 3, so that the lugs I6, 25 ma be inserted in the apertures 32 of the flanges 3t, and by swinging the lever I2 in the direction of the arrows 38, the flanges may be drawn together and the band contracted into position on the culvert for subsequent fastening which, of course, is customarily effected by inserting clamping bolts into the apertured flanges.

It is to be noted that the tool will accommodate culvert bands of different sizes or diameters by simply placing the fulcrum element I8 in the different apertures 20 so as to vary the distance between the lever I2 and the leg 24.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure, and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A tool for expanding and contracting culvert bands having end portions provided with opposing apertured flanges, said tool comprising a lever affording a handle at its upper end, a pivot element provided intermediate the ends of said lever, a cross bar provided with a row of apertures to selectively receive said pivot element whereby the cross bar is adjustably and rotatably connected to said lever, an upwardly and downwerdly projecting leg provided at one end of said cross bar, a pair of lugs projecting laterall in REFERENCES CITED opposite directions from the respective opposite The f ll in efe c are of record in the ends of said leg, and an additional lug project= fil of this ing laterally from the lower end of said lever, 5

whereby the last-mentioned lug may coact se- UNITED STATES PATENTS lectively with either of the first mentioned lugs Number m Date to engage the apertured flanges of a culvert 3,9 Hofiman p 1911 band. 2,184,921 Eggerss Dec. 26, 1939 HARRY W. LASCHKE. 10 2,232,247 Laub Feb. 18, 1941 

